Death in the Grand Manor by Anne Morice 😱🏡☠️🎬

Happy Furrowed Middlebrow Friday! 🥳🎉

This week, I'm sharing a Dean Street Press Golden Age Crime Fiction instead of a Furrowed Middlebrow novel. This is the first time I'm reading anything by Anne Morice (born Felicity Shaw) and I'm very excited to share my thoughts!

MY FAVORITE QUOTE FROM THE BOOK: 

‘Yes, I do, and for God’s sake don’t get the idea that you’re Miss Marple, and start asking all and sundry what they were doing between four and six o’clock, on Saturday, 3rd August. It could quite conceivably lead to your being whacked on the head yourself.’ - Inspector Robin Price 

RATING: 4🌟 A fantastically fun vintage mystery! 

It’s like hopping into a sports car with your most adventurous girlfriend behind the wheel—then having her put the pedal to the metal before you’ve even had a chance to close the door! (Also picture your hair flying out in all directions and gripping your sunglasses and purse for dear life! lol)

Although this 1970 mystery takes place in a small English village (Roakes Common), it feels anything but "Miss Marple-esque". Tessa Crichton is an energetic, slightly snarky and wonderfully real young lady who is also an actress and takes jobs whenever she can. 

In Death in the Grand Manor, she is staying with her cousin Toby Crichton and his slightly famous actress wife, Matilda Spragge. Toby asks Tessa to come up from London to help with Ellen (Toby & Matilda's clever and resourceful 11-year-old daughter) while his wife is filming and away from home. Between playing detective, "babysitting" and trying to get her acting career on track, Tessa is up to her eyeballs in activities. 

Finding out who killed the hateful Mrs. Cornford (of "The Old Manor") almost becomes a full-time job for Tessa (and those around her). Pretty much everyone in the little village is a suspect. Thank goodness Inspector Robin Price of Scotland Yard shows up to shed some light upon the matter...and to dazzle the female residents with his handsome appearance and debonair manner. 

The ending is surprising, but also extremely satisfying. As soon as I got to the final page, I knew I needed to continue with the series. There's so much energy and clever conversations in every scene. (I was a bit exhausted by the end, to tell the truth!) Whew—so much to take in! 

Even though it wasn't quite a 5-star read, I have a feeling that these Tessa Crichton mysteries might just get better and better. So, I'm going to pace myself until I get to the very last book. 

I cannot wait to read the next one!

Many thanks to my dear friend, Victoria, of Dean Street Press for recommending Anne Morice to me! 🥰❤️  I'm so grateful and happy that DSP has republished her books! 🤩🌟📚

I also ADORE the covers. Sooo awesomely retro! Highly recommended!

PRAISE FOR ANNE MORICE'S WRITING:

“Entrancingly fresh and lively whodunit. . . . Excellent dialogue. . . . Much superior to the average effort to lighten the detective story.” - Maurice Richardson

“Morice is a traditionalist, and she has no surprises [in terms of subject matter] in her latest book. What she does have, as always, is a bright and amusing style . . . [and] a general air of sophisticated writing.”  - Newgate Callendar (aka classical music critic Harold C. Schoenberg)

"This is not a blood-curdling, chilling mystery; it is amusing and light, but Miss Morice writes in a polished and intelligent manner, providing pleasure and entertainment. Anne Morice’s mysteries most frequently take place at country villages and estates, quintessence of modern cozy mystery settings, there is a pleasing tartness to Tessa’s narration and the brittle, epigrammatic dialogue which reminds me of the Golden Age Crime Queens (particularly Ngaio Marsh) and, to part from mystery for a moment, English playwright Noel Coward...Dean Street Press editions and thereby passing time once again in that pleasant fictional English world where death affords us not emotional disturbance and distress but enjoyable and intelligent diversion." - Curtis Evans

‘Entrancingly fresh and lively whodunit . . . Excellent dialogue.’ - Observer 

Wishing you a wonderful rest of the month, book friends! I hope to have a new autumn-inspired blog post early in September! 

Many hugs! 💛🌻🤗🌻💛 

P.S. Here are some pics from a recent trip to Storyland (in northern New Hampshire) with my sister, Kim and my husband, Ian! We had a blast! I can't believe summer is almost over! (Although, to be honest, I'm very happy about it. Summer is my least favorite season 😱)

Christianna Brand—4 British Library Crime Classics Book Reviews! 🤩🌟

Are you completely hooked on the British Library Crime Classics? (You may not be surprised that my very favorites are the Christmas titles and the short story collections 😂)

I've always wanted to try more mysteries in their amazing collection, so I decided to dip into the Inspector Cockrill series by Christianna Brand! 

After reading primarily Agatha Christie books for 40+ years, it's been hard for me to love the work of other authors in this genre. But, I'm trying to branch out and these crime classic titles are definitely a fabulous resource for new-to-me mystery authors. 

BOOK REVIEWS

(in the order in which I read them)

Heads You Lose 3.75🌟

An entertaining and quirky crime novel! This was my first introduction to Christianna Brand's writing and I definitely liked it. Although this particular mystery seemed a bit repetitive and monotonous at times, it was fun to follow the story overall. The author seems to have a talent for creating interesting and lively characters (both positive and negative). I especially enjoyed the antics of the twins, Francesca and Venetia. 

The final reveal was a surprise to me, but I did have a tiny hunch it might go that way in the last chapter or two. It wasn't the best ending ever, but it had a satisfactory conclusion.

Green for Danger 4🌟

Interesting and suspenseful! This murder mystery centered at a war hospital truly kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the slow introduction of each of the medical personnel—both male and female, professional and VADs. Though, when reading both Heads You Lose and Green for Danger, I had to re-listen to (or re-read) the first chapter twice. (Perhaps it was because I wasn't 100% familiar with Christianna Brand's writing style yet?)

Following the twists and turns of the multiple murders (both in and out of the hospital)—as well as suspicious behavior from all of the medical staff—made the ending even more dramatic. I was sure it was a certain person until the very end and I was shocked at the final reveal of the murderer by Inspector Cockrill. 

 

Tour de Force 3🌟

 

An excellent choice to read during the summer months! This British Library Crime Classic has most wonderful, hot-weather Italian atmosphere. 
 

Now for a difficult truth...although I REALLY want love these mysteries (especially the Inspector Cockrill series), I'm having trouble enjoying them as much as the Agatha Christie mysteries. 

 

One reason is that I believe I've found a pattern in the mysteries (at least in the titles I've read so far) that doesn't 100% appeal to me. Here's the template—

1. An "everyday" murder occurs with many people present
2. Very chummy support between all of the people who are considered possible murder suspects
3. An unexpected murderer is "chosen" to investigate 
4. Events/conversations become confusing and repetitive with each main character in the book becoming a suspect for various reasons. 
5. At the very end (usually in the last chapter or two of the book), the "real" murderer is revealed. 

Even though the plot in Tour de Force was clever and the characters very well drawn, I found reading the story itself to be exhausting, confusing and hard to follow. I frequently found myself going back and re-reading multiple chapters over again or discovering that I've suddenly lost the thread of what is going on. For me, this particular crime classic was a frustrating reading experience.

 

London Particular 4🌟

This is my second favorite Christianna Brand mystery—the setting is wonderfully atmospheric! 

Although Green for Danger was good, I was a bit disappointed after all the hype and I think my expectations (after reading many reviews) were too high. But, now that I've read this London-based mystery, I started leaning more towards "yay", rather than "nay" when it comes to this series as a whole.

What I Loved:

• Mysterious London fog setting
• Interesting and charming characters (especially Rosie)
• Lots of domestic details and everyday routines (mostly involving Matilda, Rosie's sister-in-law)
• Discovering the often questionable pasts of the main characters (Rosie, Matilda, Tedward, Thomas, Raoul, and Melissa)
• Excellent and witty conversations

Two things that bother me about Christianna Brand's mysteries: 

1. Although Inspector Cockrill is supposed to be an unforgettable character like Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, he is the opposite to me. No matter how many times he is described in each mystery, I can never remember him or why he is important. I keep wondering why that is...
2. It seems to me like every single book in this series is the same..or, at least it feels like that to me. The way the suspicion spotlight switches repeatedly from from one character to the next...and then explaining why each of them could be the murderer...completely exhausts my mind. When the murderer is finally revealed, it's usually someone who has already been suspected and then dismissed for some reason. Why does the pattern always have to be the same? Is it because the books each have the same Inspector? Instead of this template having a cozy feeling within the series, it sometimes feels monotonous and a bit irritating when reading another title. 

Suddenly at His Residence 4.25🌟

I must admit—this is my FAVORITE British Library Crime Classics title (so far)! Suddenly at His Residence bumped my opinion of Ms. Brand's mysteries from "good" to "great"!

Either the author's writing style and plot templates finally started making sense to me (after reading 4 previous books) or this mystery novel was particularly my style...either way, it was an awesome read! 

What I Loved:
💚 Setting of a manor house (with inheritance and wills involved)
💚 Charming (and also not-very-charming) characters
💚 Perfect pacing
💚 The descriptions of clothing, every day activities and servants
💚 Stunning ending!

The clever title is also the absolute best choice for this book—nothing could be more fitting. From the very first page to the last, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for someone to die and waiting for the murderer to be revealed. Inspector Cockrill does his "usual thing" (also see my thoughts in the template above)—attempting to soothe his friends while also trying to dig down to the truth at the same time. 

I almost never guess who the murderer is in mysteries like these, but this one did glimmer in my mind for a moment or two. When the person was revealed at the end, I was still a bit surprised. But, in a good way.  

Next on my Crime Classics wish list are the other two books in the Inspector Cockrill series, as well as starting off with one of the newer books I received—'Cat and Mouse' of the Inspector Chunky duology.

CHRISTIANNA BRAND TBR:

1. Death of  Jezebel
2. Three-Cornered Halo 
3. Cat and Mouse 

Many, many thanks to the British Library team for sending these books (and a couple of British Library Women Writers!) to me to read and review! I appreciate the chance to share my honest thoughts and discover a new-to-me mystery author to enjoy! 😍📚

DSP Book Review: Bloody Instructions by Sara Woods 🤩📕

Happy Dean Street December, Friends! 

 

As you know, I absolutely adore the Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow collection (I've read at least 34 books and counting so far...wooo!), but I'm also starting to sample some of their amazing Crime Fiction books. So far, my favorite author from that series is Moray Dalton (dying to read more of her golden age mysteries in 2025!)

Now that DSP has added Sara Woods (a new Crime Fiction author) to their list, I thought it would be a great opportunity to try out one of her books. (I always get excited about a new author, don't you?) Also, I have to give most of the credit to Caro, who recommended the first Sara Woods book to me. If you want to see her beautiful, in-depth and addictive reviews, make sure to start HERE! (don't forget to check out her gorgeous Instagram posts, too!)

So, here's my (as usual) very informal review of Bloody Instructions by Sara Woods:

I'm not a huge fan of crime dramas on television, but mystery books are sometimes different. To me, they are a lot more interesting and less stressful in book form. (Also, reading a mystery book that was written in the 60s makes it even better, in my opinion!) It took me some time to get used to Sara Woods' writing style, but it's mainly because courtroom dialogue and lawyer language sometimes make my head spin.

The characters in this crime fiction novel are distinct, intelligent and interesting. I especially appreciated the parts in Bloody Instructions in which Antony updates his uncle with the details of the murder (and investigation). This rehashing of the situation reminded me of how Poirot would share his thoughts to Hastings in Agatha Christie's books. It really helped me when my brain was working below its normal efficiency—lol. 

I was also grateful for the drawing of the layout of the office where the murder occurred because I sometimes have a hard time imagining crime scene details in my head. Although I had no idea how this murder was going to be solved, it was a lot of fun trying to figure it out.  I was really surprised to find out who the killer was in the end. Seriously unexpected!

The relationship and conversations between Antony, his wife Jenny, and his uncle Sir Nicholas Harding were my favorite parts. This little family in their unconventional London dwelling are highly amusing (also with a hint of coziness) and I looked forward to every evening dinner discussion with glee. 

Although I didn't have an immediate connection to Sara Woods' writing as I did with Moray Dalton, I'm still very interested in reading the rest of the series. (Especially after reading Caro's last post on the Antony Maitland series...she found that the books in this series just got better and better!)

To sum up... If you're highly entertained by mysterious murders with missing motives, complex courtroom conversations and a slew of suspicious characters, you will LOVE this crime classic by Sara Woods! 

Let me know which DSP Crime Fiction authors (or books!) are your favorites so far!

Many bookish hugs to you! 💕🌸🤗🌸💕